In this article, we are going to discuss the 15 best nuclear power stocks to buy according to Wall Street analysts.
The US electricity demand soared to a record level last year, with data centers accounting for around 50% of the demand growth. As the global AI race continues its momentum and hyperscalers carry on pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into building out their infrastructure, the country’s power demand remains on track to reach even further highs in 2026 and 2027.
Nuclear energy has emerged as a key candidate to power this demand, since it is clean, reliable, and affordable. As a result, the sector is going through a renaissance in the United States, especially since President Trump signed an executive order last year to quadruple the country’s nuclear energy capacity by 2050.
Some key steps have been taken over the last year, including moving some next-generation reactor designs towards key tests with impressive speed, streamlining the licensing for new reactors, and reinforcing the local nuclear fuel supply to reduce reliance on imports. Moreover, several retired nuclear plants are slated to restart production, and a number of utilities are gearing up to boost the output of existing plants.
The sector has also received widespread attention from Silicon Valley itself. Several American tech giants have now signed multi-year deals with nuclear operators to ensure that they have enough clean energy available to power their advances in AI and meet their climate targets.
With that said, here are the Best Nuclear Energy Stocks to Buy According to Wall Street.
Photo by Frédéric Paulussen on Unsplash
Our Methodology
To collect data for this article, we scanned the top companies operating in the nuclear energy sector and shortlisted stocks with the highest upside potential according to Wall Street analysts, as of May 26, 2026. We then limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. The following are the Best Nuclear Energy Stocks to Buy According to Analysts.
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15. Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 11.15%
Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG) is a predominantly regulated energy company that engages in the provision of electric and gas services.
On May 21, Morgan Stanley lowered its price target on Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG) from $94 to $89, but maintained an ‘Overweight’ rating on the shares. The revised target, which still represents an upside of over 11% from the current levels, comes after the analyst firm adjusted its estimates for the North American Regulated & Diversified Utilities / IPPs group in April.
Morgan Stanley highlighted that the utilities sector surged by only 2% during the month, underperforming the 10.4% gains delivered by the overall S&P during the period.
The target comes despite Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (NYSE:PEG) exceeding estimates in its Q1 report earlier this month, helped by the extreme winter weather that lifted demand across its electric and gas businesses. The utility reaffirmed its full-year 2026 operating earnings guidance of $4.28 to $4.40 per share, indicating a 7% YoY growth at the midpoint (read more details here).
14. American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 11.54%
American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 29,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity.
On May 21, Morgan Stanley analyst David Arcaro trimmed the firm’s price target on American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) from $136 to $129, but maintained an ‘Overweight’ rating on the shares. The revision comes after the analyst firm adjusted its price targets for the Regulated & Diversified Utilities / IPPs group in North America for April.
Morgan Stanley noted that the utilities surged by just 2% during the month, underperforming the 10.4% gains delivered by the overall S&P.
The lowered target comes despite American Electric Power Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:AEP) exceeding expectations in its Q1 2026 report earlier on May 5. The utility signed 7 GW of new large energy project agreements during the quarter, and its incremental load is expected to grow to 63 GW by 2030, with nearly 90% of it coming from data centers.
As a result, AEP raised its five-year capital investment plan by $6 billion to $78 billion, and also increased its expected long-term operating earnings CAGR to greater than 9%.
13. Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 12.98%
Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) delivers electricity and gas services to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
On May 21, Morgan Stanley trimmed its price target on Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) from $101 to $94, but maintained an ‘Equal Weight’ rating on the shares. The revision comes after the analyst firm adjusted its price targets for Regulated & Diversified Utilities / IPPs in North America for April. The analyst noted that utilities underperformed the broader market during the month, delivering gains of only 2% against the 10.4% posted by the overall S&P.
The move comes despite Entergy Corporation (NYSE:ETR) exceeding profit estimates in its Q1 2026 report last month. The utility reaffirmed its adjusted earnings target of $4.25 to $4.45 per share for FY 2026. Moreover, it increased its long-term adjusted EPS guidance, raising its 2027 outlook by $0.20 and its 2029 forecast by $0.50 to $6.40 per share. The raised guidance comes on the back of an expected 8.5% compound annual retail sales growth through 2029, including an annual industrial growth of 16%.
12. Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 13.89%
Next on our list of the Best Nuclear Energy Stocks is Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL). It is a major US electricity and natural gas company with operations in 8 Western and Midwestern states.
On May 21, Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.5925 per share. The dividend is payable on July 20 to shareholders as of the June 15 record. The utility has raised its payout for 23 consecutive years and continues to target annual dividend increases of 4%-6% and a payout ratio of 45%-55%. XEL currently boasts an impressive annual dividend yield of 2.97%.
Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:XEL) is targeting earnings in the range of $4.04 to $4.16 per share for full-year 2026. Moreover, the utility remains confident to deliver 6% to 8+% long-term earnings growth and expects to deliver 9% EPS growth on average through 2030.
Xcel also continues to benefit from the AI boom and is already developing solutions for 2 GW of new data center capacity. The company is forecasting to secure 6 GW of data center load by year-end 2027.
11. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 16.05%
With a market cap of almost $180 billion as of the writing of this article, NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) is the most valuable utility company in the world. The company boasts a diverse mix of energy sources, including natural gas, nuclear, renewable energy, and battery storage.
On May 26, Barclays slightly raised its price target on NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) from $89 to $90, while keeping an ‘Equal Weight’ rating on the shares. The revised target represents an upside of over 4% from the current share price.
It was reported on May 18 that NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) plans to acquire Dominion Energy in a $66.8 billion deal that will create the largest regulated electric utility in the world. The move comes at a time when American power consumption is expected to soar to record levels due to the demand from data centers that run artificial intelligence. The combined entity will be the world leader in renewable energy and battery storage, the US leader in natural gas generation, and will take second place in nuclear power.
The transaction is expected to close in 12 to 18 months, subject to antitrust review, shareholder approval, and regulatory approvals. Barclays expects Nextera to close the merger and sees a 2.5% accretion.
10. GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 16.77%
GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) engages in the provision of various products and services that generate, transfer, orchestrate, convert, and store electricity in the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) announced on May 21 that it had agreed to acquire Robotech Automation, a Canada-based specialized robotics and automation systems integrator, to boost its robotics and automation capabilities. While the financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed, the deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.
Robotech Automation is currently collaborating with GE Vernova on active projects within its supply chain, including at the company’s factories in New York and Pennsylvania. The private company currently employs approximately 35 people.
Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV), commented:
“Robotech brings exactly the kind of specialized talent, proprietary systems, and hands-on integration expertise that will accelerate what we’re building in robotics and automation at GE Vernova. GE Vernova is committed to advancing our capabilities in areas that are critical to how we operate and compete with excellence, and this acquisition is a focused, strategic step to add key talent, accelerate our organic programs, and establish a world-class robotics deployment capability within our Advanced Research Center.”
GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE:GEV) hit its all-time high last month after reporting impressive results for its first quarter. The company exceeded estimates in both profits and revenue and also added $13 billion to its total backlog during the quarter. Moreover, given the strong Q1 performance, the firm even raised its revenue and free cash flow guidance for the full-year 2026.
9. BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BWXT)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 18.65%
BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BWXT) provides safe and effective nuclear solutions for global security, clean energy, environmental restoration, nuclear medicine, and space exploration. The company is also the sole manufacturer of naval nuclear reactors for US submarines and aircraft carriers.
On May 15, Deutsche Bank analyst Scott Deuschle upgraded BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BWXT) from ‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’, while also bumping up its price target from $205 to $255. The target boost reflects an upside of 27% from the current price level.
Deutsche Bank believes that the company is benefiting from the more favorable industry environment. The analyst added that its evaluation of the BWXT’s commercial nuclear greenfield cash flow, along with valuation multiples for its government operations and commercial nuclear maintenance, repair, and overhaul business, suggests a roughly 20% upside potential for the stock.
The bullish sentiment comes after BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:BWXT) exceeded Wall Street estimates in its Q1 2026 report on May 5. The company delivered revenue growth of 26%, adjusted EBITDA growth of 14%, and EPS growth of 22% compared to last year.
Moreover, BWX ended the quarter with a backlog of $8.7 billion, up 77% YoY and 19% sequentially, with “robust bookings in government and consistent backlog in commercial”. The company further added to this on May 7 when it announced that it had received U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts worth more than $1.4 billion.
8. Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 22.19%
Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) is one of the largest global providers of the uranium fuel needed to power a safe, secure energy future.
On May 22, Barclays initiated coverage of Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) with an ‘Equal Weight’ rating and a price target of $108.
The move comes after Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ) reported a solid performance in its Q1 2026, with on-track production at our uranium mining operations in Canada and Kazakhstan. The company’s adjusted EPS of $0.47 topped expectations by $0.13, while its revenue also grew by 7% YoY to $845 million and comfortably exceeded estimates by almost $250 million.
Cameco Corporation (NYSE:CCJ)’s results during the quarter were higher compared to 2025, with net earnings of $131 million, adjusted net earnings of $203 million, and adjusted EBITDA of $509 million. The company’s core uranium segment performed exceptionally well, delivering a 48% YoY growth in adjusted EBITDA due to higher sales volumes and an improving average realized price. Cameco also revealed that it has contracts in place for average annual deliveries of over 28 million pounds of U3O8 over the next five years.
7. Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 22.27%
Next on our list of the Best Nuclear Energy Stocks According to Analysts is Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO). Backed by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, the company develops advanced fission power plants to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale to customers in the United States.
On May 22, BofA analyst Rinny Singh reinstated coverage of Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) with a ‘Buy’ rating and a price target of $80, indicating an upside of over 17% from the current levels.
The analyst firm believes that Oklo’s differentiated, vertically integrated “build-own-operate” model positions it as a “potential early leader” in the small modular reactor industry.
BofA highlighted the company’s 1.2 GWe binding power agreement that it signed with META in January, as well as its pipeline of over 14 GWe under non-binding customer letters. This makes Oklo one of the biggest players in the emerging SMR sector and marks a strong indicator of the soaring demand for the reactors. According to the analyst firm, this early commercial traction reinforces its conviction in the company’s outlook.
Thanks to its hyperscaler contracts and its demonstration reactor staying on track, Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) was also recently included in our list of the 10 Best Nuclear Energy Stocks to Buy as SMRs Go Mainstream.
6. NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR)
Upside Potential as of May 26: 22.75%
NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) provides small modular reactor technology solutions. Its groundbreaking NuScale Power Module is a 12-module plant that can produce up to 924 MWe of carbon-free energy.
On May 22, BofA reinstated coverage of NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE:SMR) with a ‘Neutral’ rating and assigned the stock a price target of $12.
The analyst firm highlighted NuScale’s status as the only company with a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Standard Design Approval, granting it a significant first-mover regulatory advantage. Moreover, its use of conventional low-enrich uranium fuel also provides “a clear credibility lead versus peers”.
However, BofA noted that NuScale’s revenues remain tied to services and its first reactor is not expected to generate power until the early 2030s. Moreover, the company’s progress in converting agreements into binding contracts has been slower than initially expected.
Moreover, SMR deployment requires significant upfront capital and a robust balance sheet. While NuSale’s peers have been increasingly successful in securing hyperscaler-supported agreements, the company remains underexposed and vulnerable to a near-term funding risk.
While we acknowledge the potential of SMR as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SMR and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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